► What’s the E-2008 like to live with?
► We meet an ancestor
► Read month 4
As our letters pages aren’t afraid to highlight, most EVs (Teslas make it look easy) are at their worst driving long distances, at speed, to new places, with no notice. Times have changed; a bit. Bigger batteries have become (slightly) more affordable and charging infrastructure has (slightly) improved. But mid-trip charging is a reality for those of us with modest range.
Where round trips have fallen into the gap between the real-world ranges of my last EV (a £90k Audi e-Tron GT that could comfortably go 240 miles) and the £40k Peugeot (circa 180 miles; the display always says 240 with a full charge despite months of evidence to the contrary), I’ve settled on my favourite top-up locations.
Expensive though it may be, Ionity’s network is powerful and the app is slick, so you can take a look 10 minutes out to check they’re not all in use and get charging fast on arrival. Crucially for this addict, they’re never far from a Starbucks either.
Bumping into a previous-gen E-2008 (at, yes, a Starbucks), it’s clear Pug’s zero-emissions crossover has evolved. The first electric version launched in 2020, with its multi-energy CMP architecture, and featured a 50kWh battery (gross) and a 134bhp e-motor.
Claimed range was 191 to 206 miles, and in truth it was more like 165 (45kWh usable and circa 3.7 miler per kWh). My version, with its slightly bigger 47.7kWh battery, is smarter looking, slightly quicker and very slightly longer-legged.
But it’s still not a practical long-range motorway conveyance, if that’s your jam. The battery’s too small, the charge curve too humble and, as with the pre-facelift car, the software appears unable to accurately modify its predicted range in light of its real-time energy consumption.
Does any of the above matter if regular, long-distance motorway work isn’t on your agenda? Not really. And while fuel stops at petrol stations are a miracle of convenience, paying for the privilege hurts. My wife’s Volvo XC40 is often a tempting idea when Heathrow or Gatwick beckons. But the Pug always wins for its buttery-smooth powertrain, snug interior and £7 recharge bills (at home).
And the next generation? Likely 2026, on Stellantis’s in the pipeline STLA Small platform. With batteries of up to 82kWh, 300 miles or more should be a breeze. Good news for me, bad news for Starbucks.
Logbook: Peugeot E-2008 (month 5)
Price £40,700 (£42,060 as tested)
Performance 47.7kWh battery, e-motor, 154bhp, 9.1sec 0-62mph, 93mph
Efficiency 4.9 miles per kWh (official), 3.9 miles per kWh (tested)
Range 227-271 miles (official), 183 miles (tested)
Energy cost 7.0p per mile
Miles this month 358
Total miles 2919